A nursing assistant is a medical officer whose work range can vary from watching admitted patient’s physical condition to maintaining their hygiene and feeding schedules. The main duty of the nursing assistant is the daily management of their patients such as taking care of the routine needs of the patients and report about the health of the patient to physicians. Following are the basic job responsibilities of a certified nursing assistant:

1. One of the basic tasks of the nursing assistant includes looking after the day to day personal activities of the patient. This often includes bathing, dressing, grooming, toileting, feeding, ambulating and others. The nursing assistant is required to maintain the hygiene of the patient well. Along with the hygiene of the patient, the nursing assistant is also required to take care of the cleanliness of surrounding area like room, furniture, etc.
2. Nursing assistant not only take care of the patient’s hygiene but also keep an eye on the physical condition of the patient. It is their duty to look after vital sign’s of the patient such as measuring blood pressure, pulse, temperature and respiration. They are also required to collect patient’s specimens for laboratory tests.
3. Not only are the nursing assistant required to take care of feeding, toileting, bathing and other schedules of the patients, they are also required to assist the patient with various physical works such as doing light exercise, shifting positions, moving, lifting and transporting. Nursing assistant should help the patient to regain or maintain physical strength and musculoskeletal functions.
4. Nursing assistants are not only expected to assist the patients but are also expected to assist doctors and nurses in various tasks such as applying non-sterile dressings, handling of contaminated objects, reporting and observing environmental situations which might spread infection. They are also expected to maintain required documentations and paper works.
5. Nursing assistants are also expected to provide emotional and social support and comfort to the patients along with the physical support.
6. Nursing assistants are required to have a valid CNA license to work as a CNA. Moreover they are also required to have a good communication skill.
7. Nursing assistants must be willing to work in any time period. Since most medical facilities do not have a fixed schedule every day, nursing assistants should not expect for a 9-5 job. Instead they should be willing to work at any time of the day.

Are you one of those many people who want to pursue an exciting career as a CNA but don’t have much idea about the CNA career itself? If your answer is yes then we are here to give you all information required to kick start your career.

A CNA, which stands for Certified Nursing Assistant, is a medical officer that is in charge of various activities related to patients. A CNA takes care of all records of a patient and updates the RN, or doctor. Additionally, a CNA is the first person most patients see before the RN or doctor comes in to the hospital, nursing home, or patient room at a doctor’s office.

CNA career

To become a CNA, there are certain requirements that you must meet in order to get legal permit to work. The requirements may vary from one state to another; however, the general requirements are usually the same at all the states. To start a reputed career of a CNA, the first thing that you need to consider is getting the best possible education. Usually, you can take CNA training classes at various community colleges, universities, nursing homes and hospitals as well as American Red Cross. The cost of CNA training usually ranges from $800 to $1200. You can also get financial aid at community colleges for your studies. At some nursing homes and hospitals, you can even get free CNA trainings. Usually at such nursing homes, you will have to work for them for a certain period of time.

If you don’t have enough time to attend a CNA training class, you can also take online CNA class. You can take the theoretical part of the CNA training through online classes and then register at a local medical facility for the practical session. In order to appear the CNA certification examination, you will have to complete 75 to 125 hours of classes. After you complete your training classes, you can register for the CNA certification exam of your state. The exam consists of two sections: the written test and the clinical test. In order to get the CNA license, you will have to pass both the test in the same setting.

After you pass the CNA certification exam, you are ready to start your career as a Certified Nursing Assistant. The last but not the least, to get a job as a CNA, you should start hunting for CAN jobs and vacations. You should tailor a strong CNA resume that will help you get a well paying CNA job. Also, you should prepare yourself for the job interview. You should confidently express yourself and your qualities that will persuade the employer to hire you. If all done as said, your CNA career will flourish.

Good luck!